Thursday, September 29, 2011

Visiting colleges is one of the most important things you can do when deciding which colleges you will apply to and ultimately, which college you will attend.Actually stepping foot on the college campus can change your perspective entirely about a particular school.We’ve had students who were dead set on a particular college and then went to visit and changed their mind completely.We’ve also had students who thought they would never consider a college and then went on a visit and fell in love. If you are applying to a college, you need to go and see what it’s like.Here are some tips to get the most out of your college visits.

Plan a campus tour while school is in session:The optimal time to visit a school is while the college is in session.This way, you’ll be able to get a feel for what the campus is like while students are on campus.You’ll also have the opportunity to talk to students as they are walking to and from class or to the library.Most students are very willing to speak with prospective students and would love to answer your questions.These students also tend to be very honest considering they are not being paid by the school, unlike those giving you your tour.

See if you can arrange an overnight visit:Many colleges offer prospective students the chance to actually spend a night in a dorm room.This is a great opportunity to get an insider’s view on the college.The best time to spend a night at a college is before you submit your applications when you are narrowing down your list, and then again after you are accepted.If you are unsure of what you want, consider spending a night at the two colleges on your list that are the most different.While on campus, make a conscious effort to be friendly and meet as many students as possible.Ask questions to several different students such as “why did you choose this college” and “what do you like/don’t you like about this college?”If you are considering applying Early Decision to one of your schools, arranging an overnight stay is an absolute must.

Set up an interview with an admissions officer or coach:First, you’ll need to research your schools to see which require interviews.For schools that offer interviews (but they aren’t required), you’ll need to consider if it could help your application and if you should do one.Then, make sure to prepare for your interview by researching the college and doing mock interviews with practice questions and answers.

See if you can sit in on a class and/or talk with the faculty:High school and college are very different.See if you can sit in on a class, especially one in your field of study if you have one.You’ll get to see how a college class operates and the dynamics between the professor and the students.If you can, see if you can talk with a member of the faculty.Again, speaking with someone who is in the department of your field of study can give you incredible insight into the program.

Eat in the dining hall:Food is a very important part of your life and you should know what kind of food you’ll be eating for the four years while you are living at college.Make sure that you go to a dining hall on campus and sample the food that the students are eating.Also ask questions about the meal plan for students at the college.Is it the same for all students?Can you change it mid-semester or mid-year? Does unused money roll over to the next semester or next year?

Look at the dorms:Make sure you visit a dorm and take a look at the living quarters.Are the dorms doubles, triples, or quads?What’s the difference between freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior dorms?Is housing guaranteed all four years?If not, what kind of help does the college give you when you need to look for off-campus housing?These are all important questions you should ask while on your visit.

Travel around the town/city: How easy is it to get into the closest city?Can you walk?Is there a bus service near by?Do you need to take the train?You’ll want to travel into the closest town or city to see how easy it is to get there and what there is to do. After graduation, students tend to find jobs and settle around the city they went to college in. Can you picture yourself living in that city indefinitely?

Send a thank you note: If you interviewed with or met with anyone, send them a hand written thank you note.Mention something specific that you talked about to make it a bit personal. Reinstate your enthusiasm for the school.

Take down notes: Before you forget, take down notes on the college.Once you do a few visits, they will all begin to blur together and you’ll forget which dorm, dining hall, professor, etc. went with which school.Take notes and compare them with your notes on other college visits so that you can begin to narrow down your list.

College visits are such an important part of this process.Take them seriously and ask a lot of questions while you’re there.

Any additional tips to share?Leave your comments!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with College Planning Strategies, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of CPS and The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Consider the following tips to help you save money throughout your college years.

Campus Activities:Campus activities like movie nights or math club usually mean free food. Take advantage of these opportunities to be involved. You may just make a new friend or two as well.

Buying Smart:Consider buying store brand items instead of name brand and think about buying in bulk at stores like BJ’s, Costco, and Sam’s Club.Also, look for some second hand stores and don’t feel awkward shopping there, you are not alone!You may be shocked by what they have and how much things cost.For example – one of our students last year found a Coach purse for $40!

Get a Job:You may have been given the opportunity for work-study but even if you weren’t, you can still look for a part-time job on campus or close to campus.Working while in college is highly recommended.Not only is it a great resume builder and networking opportunity, but you can meet friends and make some money so you won’t be hassling mom or dad. Some on-campus and work-study jobs may even let you do your homework or get studying done when you have down time.

Bank Accounts: There are a lot of different accounts out there and many banks have student checking accounts where there aren’t any fees or charges to keep a minimum balance.We suggest that you find a bank that has a local branch for both you and your parents.Your parents and you should each have a debit card and access to on-line management.Setting up joint accounts with your parent(s) as the primary account holder will help them easily deposit money as necessary.Link your checking and savings accounts to help with overdraft protection and to help you save money. Have your paychecks and all other funds directly-deposited into your savings, then transfer spending money to your checking account and try to spend only what you have in checking. This will help you save money now to fund future large purchases such as books, a computer, or maybe even a trip for Spring Break.

Credit Cards:Be aware of credit card hooks such as free prizes, a percent off today’s purchase for opening an account, no interest for a certain number of months, etc.A free T-shirt may sound great now, but not so much when compared to the amount of potential credit card debt you may incur and a mark on your credit report.You can also look into Credit Unions or AAA, but if you do decide to have a credit card, we suggest having only one if possible.Be sure to minimize your credit card debt even after graduation; don’t forget about your student loans you will have to pay off.Also, typically if you are under 21, you will need to show that you are able to make payments (meaning you have some sort of income) or you will need a cosigner in order to open a credit card account. If you are under age 21 and have a card with a cosigner but want an increase in the credit limit, your cosigner must agree in writing to the increase.

Being money conscious from the start can seriously help you throughout college and you’ll be very thankful once you graduate.

Any additional tips to share?Leave your comments!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with College Planning Strategies, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of CPS and The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Let’s face it: studying for the ACT can be stressful! Besides worrying about good ACT scores, you have to carve out time for filling out college applications, writing personal statements, researching college scholarships, and making sure you’ve got all your college requirements in place. No wonder so many ACT students find themselves lying awake at night, worrying that bad ACT scores will prevent them from getting accepted into their dream college! Here are ten ways to refocus your ACT prep and get better ACT scores on Test Day!

1. Focus on your progress. Look back at where you were just a week ago in your ACT test prep, and see how far you’ve come! No one can train to run a marathon is 2 weeks! Noticing and remarking upon your steady progress studying for the ACT will lift your spirits and encourage you to keep going!

2. Set a routine. We are creatures of habit. You need to make sure you have a set schedule for studying and non-studying. Try to keep this balanced routine the same in the weeks leading up to the ACT test day. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day.

3. Remove electronic devices from the bedroom before sleep. Any kind of artificial light or sound can interfere with sleep and make your anxiety level shoot up. Move your cell phone, laptop, and any other gadgets to the next room pre-bedtime and don’t use them on you bed if you can help it!

4. Use ear plugs to fall asleep. When you have them in, you can listen to your heartbeat. It's like being back in the womb!

5. Remove any artificial light. If you have traffic lights or street lamps shining in through your windows cover them up with a large blanket. Try to make your bedroom pitch-black. You might even need to get a sleeping mask.

6. Take stretch breaks. Lie on the floor breathing in and out. Slowly stretch your neck from side to side. As you breathe in and out notice your spine relaxing into the floor and all the tension leaving your body.

7. Get a professional massage. A little pricier-- but a nice splurge the day before an exam!

8.Don’t leave your studying to the last minute! A surefire way to feel stress is to procrastinate. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time, at least 2-3 months, to adequately prepare for the ACT.

9.Making studying social. Work in ACT study groups with friends. Compare strengths and weaknesses, and do drills together from the same book. Explain the correct answers to each other. This will help relieve stress and you’ll find yourself studying in longer chunks!

10. Write some mantras! A mantra is an empowering message that you repeat to focus your energy on positive thoughts. Choose 3 and write them on pieces of paper. Put them above your desk, inside your locker, in a notebook, or anywhere else where you’ll see them throughout your day. Some good examples might be: “I am making excellent progress on the ACT!” “I am going to do well on the ACT!” or “I am learning the ACT concepts quickly and easily!”

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

In the last blog entry, we covered some of the basics of the college financial aid system and how it is used to determine how much money you could receive. In case you have forgotten, the key formula is “COA – EFC = NEED”. COA in this case stands for “Cost Of Attendance” and is pretty straightforward (just add up the cost of everything for one year of college). What I would like to focus on in this entry is the EFC, which stands for “Expected Family Contribution”.

The first thing to do is clearly define what your EFC is. Most colleges and universities will define your EFC as “the minimum amount your family can afford to pay for one student for one year of college”. It is important to identify key components of this definition. “Minimum” implies that your EFC is a starting point and you may actually have to pay more than your EFC (depending on the college your student chooses.) Also notice the “one year of college” part. This is because you should file for financial aid every single year, which means that your EFC will likely be different every single year. The reason financial aid is filed for every year is because situations change. Jobs are gained or lost, benefits will start or stop. Even the number of students in your family attending college at the same time could change, and all of these things impact your EFC.

Now in terms of actually calculating your EFC, college and universities will use one or two methodologies (read: formulas.) The first is the Federal Methodology (FM). This is derived with a formula the Federal Government came up with and is calculated when you submit the FAFSA. Every college in the country that awards federal financial aid requires the submission of a FAFSA, which means that all of these colleges will see your FM EFC. Some colleges will go a step further and they will use their own formula to calculate your EFC. This is known as using an Institutional Methodology (IM). This can get complicated because different institutions can use different IM formulas. However the basic IM formula was created by CollegeBoard and is calculated when you submit your CSS/Profile.

Now that you know there are two different EFCs, it’s probably best to figure out what’s included in these formulas. Simply put, the FM and IM formulas use the following: parent income, parent assets, student income, and student assets. There is a handful of other information that could be used (ages of parents, ages of younger siblings, certain monthly expenses) but income/assets of parents/students are the big players.

Keep in mind that since we’re dealing with two different formulas, income/assets could be assessed differently. One example is your primary residence. Any equity in the primary home is considered an asset in the IM formula, but primary home equity is not part of the FM formula. If you happen to have more than one property though, equity in the additional properties is considered an asset in both the FM and IM formulas.

Things get more complicated when you delve into the nitty-gritty of each formula. If you’re concerned about your EFC and how you’re going to be able to afford to send your students to college, it is usually best to consult with a professional college advisor. Much like a CPA helps you with your taxes; College Advisors (the ones worth their salt) are well versed in EFC formulas and the many different avenues for paying college bills.

Once you finish your applications and the college gets your EFC, its time to create your financial aid award. In the next series entry we’ll discuss Awards and Appeals, something you may need to utilize depending on your EFC, your award, and any extenuating circumstances you think may be affecting your ability to pay for college.

About the author: Justin Munio is a Business Development Manager and Financial Aid Consultant with College Planning Strategies, LLC. With a degree in mathematics from SUNY Geneseo and 4 years working in the CPS Financial Aid Department, Justin is at the forefront of the financial aid process for the families of CPS and the Toolkit.

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.